Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts (VLPA)

VOLUNTEER LAWYERS
The legal arm of VLPA exists to provide pro-bono legal assistance to the sectors of Nashville's creative community that need it most. VLPA screens each client for financial eligibility and ensures they have a specific, ripe legal issue before pairing them with a volunteer attorney -- a.k.a. you. By joining as a volunteer lawyer, you're agreeing to allow VLPA to contact you with potential projects.

Representative past cases include:

• Reviewing and negotiating a songwriter agreement
• Aiding a painter in recovering payment and artwork from a gallery
• Incorporating a new dance organization and helping them seek tax exempt status
• Pursuing a company who infringed a novelist's copyright
• Drafting a performer agreement for a nonprofit theater company

VOLUNTEER PROFESSIONALS
Professional volunteers are the newest addition to VLPA's program. In response to the needs expressed by our clients, VLPA has expanded to provide nonprofit arts organizations with pro-bono assistance from business professionals, such as marketing, accounting and management strategy. VLPA pairs volunteers like you with creative organizations that need clearly defined assistance on a specific project. By joining as a volunteer professional, you're agreeing to allow VLPA to contact you with potential projects.

Representative projects include:

• Create a marketing plan for a nonprofit gallery consortium
• Help a small theater company set up a payroll for its first employees
• Network and set up new computers for an orchestra group
• Prepare a business plan for a new film organization

WHO CAN VOLUNTEER?
VLPA has volunteer opportunities for lawyers of all practice areas, as well as business professionals from all fields, particularly marketing, public relations, HR, information technology and management.

VLPA MEMBER BENEFITS
Volunteering has benefits beyond the reward of giving. As a volunteer, you receive a 50% discount on an ABC individual membership. Become a "Volunteer Member" for $50 (regular rate $100), and you will receive all of the membership benefits, including monthly email newsletters, discounts on seminars and CLEs, invitations to social events, and other networking and marketing opportunities. Plus, VLPA also makes paying referrals to interested "Volunteer Member" lawyers or professionals for clients that do not qualify for pro bono assistance.

APPLY
To become a volunteer lawyer or professional, please fill out the PDF form below and submit to VLPA via fax (615-743-3002) or mail:  Application for Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals - PDF